The Absent Serpent
by DownsofFire
Summary: Yukio, Denji, an Arine are three children who've escaped from one of Orochimaru's prison-labs and are trying to hide from the white snake. However, they hold a grudge that makes them take action against the sadistic torturer and so they find someone to help.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Because apparently bold faced author's notes are the norm in fanfiction, here it is. I should give some back story saying I had another fic, but it's been deleted due to quality by me. It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be so yeah. Well, here's chapter 1 of The Absent Serpent.**

Screams filled the night air as prisoners ran from their cages. They had finally broken out and they weren't about to let anyone stop them. However, Orochimaru valued his prisons as experimentation labs and he wasn't prone to letting lab rats go free. As prisoners broke through the gates, Hidden Sound ninja appeared and began corralling them back as best they could, with mixed results. Many were frightened enough to be pushed back while others were more desperate to get away from the hell Orochimaru called a lab.

Sparsely placed among the adults were children, many of whom were frightened back through the gate. Many just kept running out of fear. Among them were three who stayed close and tried to stay away from the center of the crowd. The group they were with was running at full speed when an impossibly large tank of a man landed in front of them, shattering the earth below him.

"Get back in your cages!" The man slammed his palms against the ground and cracks surrounded the crowd. Many attempted to run, but the first wave was caught and fell into a deep trench. Others jumped over it and kept running, the three children included. As they ran, people started getting yanked up in the trees one by one. Some turned to see a man with six arms catching people in webs like flies.

"You people never learn! It's not polite to leave the home someone's graciously given you!" He laughed maniacally as more people were being caught in his webs. The shrunken group turned and ran into a white haired man with purple lipstick and a sneer on his face.

"Now I wonder, who let the dogs out?" He leapt forward, grabbing people by the throat and tossing them like toys towards the prison, where sound nin collected them. The three children managed to break away from the group and make it to the forest since the six armed man was busy with a large group. A red haired woman noticed the trio and chased after them.

This group of children consisted of two boys and a girl traveling in a straight line. The girl, who was in front, had brown hair and deep green eyes. The boy in the back had silver hair and blue eyes. The girl was holding the hand of the third boy, who was in the middle, to guide him. He had stark white hair and bandages that obviously needed changing over his eyes. They kept running as the red haired woman gave chase.

"Quit running you stupid brats!" She surged forward and landed in front of them. The group came to a halt as the red haired woman viciously grabbed the brunettes arm. She tried to fight, but she was frail and slow. Tayuya sneered.

"Let me go!" The girl fought, but Tayuya had a grip. However, the boy with silver hair made a quick decision. He grabbed some dirt and threw it in her face. Tayuya recoiled and loosened her grip enough for the girl to get out and for them to run. As they ran, the silver haired boy turned and yelled

"Take that you stupid bitch!" Tayuya quickly rubbed the dirt out her eyes, though they still stung. She started running after them. However, the trio heard her and ducked down into a bush. Tayuya landed near the,, but they were out of sight.

"There's no way those brats got far." She walked around and kept her ears open for any odd sounds. Hard breathing, whimpers, even fast beating hearts, any sound a human would make under stress. She slowly made her way near bushes, listening for any sign of the tiny brats that, for one reason or another, Orochimaru wanted to keep. The children, however, were unofficially trained in staying quiet. They had to so they would avoid the undesirable elements of being in one of Orochimaru's prisons.

_She's getting close._ The girl thought as Tayuya neared their bush. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She was told she could do it and right now it was their best chance. Not even a good chance, but their best chance. Fear clouded her mind, and she felt her heart speed up when Tayuya neared them.

"You're near." The brunette swallowed and tried her best to concentrate. It paid off. A thick fog started rolling in, blanketing the area in white. Tayuya suddenly couldn't see far. The brunette girl kept concentrating, sweat beading on her forehead. The fog got thicker and thicker, almost suffocating. The girl only thought about making it impossible for Tayuya to neither hear nor see. She wasn't sure if she could prevent hearing, but she could blind her. Tayuya started stumbling around, unable to see a foot in front of her face.

"What the hell is this!?" She started trying to grab ahold of something, but she kept missing. "I swear, if I find you brats, I'm going to make you wish you were back in that prison!" While Tayuya kept screaming obscenities, the trio of kids slowly got out from the bush and started sneaking away, judging distance from Tayuya's screams. When they got a good distance away, and Tayuya couldn't even be heard, the boy with white hair quietly said one sentence.

"We should run now." And run they did. They surged forward, still in the same line for convenience. Their heavy breathing finally tasting clean and open air. But they still felt trapped. Until they could successfully escape Orochimaru's long arm, they were never safe. As they ran, the silver haired boy made a pointed comment at the girl.

"Jeez, Arine. Could you have cut that _any_ closer?" Arine, turned to her companion.

"Would you shut up? I'm dealing with enough shit right now to tolerate your jabs Denji." Denji snickered while the white haired boy muttered something.

"Am I being a burden Arine?" Arnie looked back at him. Completely blind at the moment, Arine suddenly felt a pang of regret at her comment.

"It's not you Yukio. I just think Denji should cut it out with his jokes until we get somewhere safe."

"What? My humour's gotten us through some dark moments." Arine was about to blow her top. Paranoia was the only thing keeping her from tearing his head off.

"Will you shut it? I don't care of your humour has helped us in the mast, right this second we need to be stealthy." Denji rolled his eyes and sighed, but kept quiet. Arine could hurt when she wanted to, even when you considered how frail they were. And she could be uppity as well.

"Perhaps Denji could tell some jokes later. We could use a laugh." Yukio muttered. Arine swallowed.

"Yeah. Maybe. If he keeps his trap shut until we need it." Denji sighed in resignation.

"Alright, alright. Just stop being mad at me for a minute and focus on running." Arine was glad to. The moon was out and shining through the woods, giving an ethereal look to it all. Denji wondered if some of Arine's fog would help make it scarier. It'd be funny. That reminded him…

"Say, when did you release that fog on that sound girl?" Arine had a sharp intake of breath.

"Shit. I guess I forgot. It must have dissipated by now." She was about to continue but Yukio started wheezing and they slowed to a stop. Arine gently leaned him against a tree. Denji pulled something from his ragged pants, three water canteens. He handed one to each of his comrades and held one for himself. Yukio took a large swig of lukewarm water and turned to his left.

"Where did you get these?"

"Uh, Yukio buddy? I'm over here." Yukio turned his head to the right and waited for Denji to answer. "And I got them when people started causing a ruckus. Swiped them from the guards quarters." He had a big smile on his face. "One guard caught me, but I pulled down his pants to stall him. It was awesome." Yukio chuckled and smiled. Arine even had a slight grin on her face. Perhaps Yukio was right, they did need a laugh. However, the moment was ruined by voices.

"This is stupid. Why does Lord Orochimaru need these kids anyway?" The group stay in place until Yukio broke the tension.

"We should hide." Arine grabbed his hand and Denji followed them into a thick bushed area. They crouched down as the voices kept nearing them.

"Lord Orochimaru likes his lab rats. You know how it is." A second person, another Sound ninja. The first one responded.

"Yes, that's true. But there were many times where he simply lets them go out and die in the wild. So why are these brats so important?" The second one sighed.

"Lord Orochimaru was doing special experiments on them, especially the blind kid's eyes. He probably has his reasons, and if we question those reasons, we'll be gutted." The footsteps of the nin could only be heard and not seen, and Denji took the opportunity to speak.

"I think they're talking about you Yukio buddy." Arine rolled her eyes.

"No, they're talking about the other blind kid. Of course it's Yukio."

"This is only temporary, you know." Both looked at Yukio as he blankly faced the bush in front of his face. "My eyes will get better and you won't have to help me as much. There's no need to argue." There were few times either Denji or Arine ever felt sympathy. Growing up in a prison, you had to learn to distance yourself. However, Yukio's situation was one that warranted their sympathy. Smart, but literally blinded by Orochimaru, he cut a pitiful figure. He hated pity, but accepted it from his friends to humour them. And they humoured his want to be less of a burden. He was more free-spirited than one thought.

"Yeah, we know Yukio." Denji patted his friend on the back as they heard an exclamation.

"I've got something!" They went still as they listened intently.

"What is it _this_ time?" The first one sounded bored. The second nin sounded excited.

"Footprints. Three sets. And they lead back to the prison I believe."

"That doesn't mean it's them."

"It also doesn't mean we shouldn't check it out." After some reluctance, the two Sound nin began searching the area near Yukio and company. Yukio himself was calm, while Denji grew tense.

"This sucks." Denji managed before Yukio slapped a hand across his mouth, a lucky shot in and of itself. Arnie looked behind her before she turned back and closed her eyes. She started shaking after a second, but then a light fog started rolling in. The two sound nin noticed this.

"Shit, it's the fog. That means they're near." The second one, however, made a better analysis.

"Yeah, it's the fog that even held up Tayuya. We have no hope." The first one tried to respond, but he was cut off. "Even if they are near, it doesn't matter. They'd escape in the fog and we'd be chasing our own tails. Best to leave the area and figure something out." The group listened as the two Sound nin left. Once they were unable to be heard, Arine let out a large breath and the fog quickly dissipated. Denji got up and helped Yukio while Arine got up shakily.

"Jeez, Arine. Are you okay?" Arine gave Denji a look.

"Tired. That takes… a lot out of me." She was breathing heavily and shaking. Obviously she had used up a lot of chakra and was in desperate need of rest. She didn't look in any shape to lead the line. So Denji made the offer.

"How about I lead the line." Arine shook her head.

"You don't know where you're going."

"None of us know where we're going Arine, what matters is that you're out of energy. Let me handle things for a bit." She was about to protest when Yukio grabbed her hand like she did his. She glanced at him, even though he was staring above her.

"This time, I'll guide you. Denji can lead us. Besides, he'll be able to detect civilization." Denji chuckled a bit.

"Yeah, if that ability actually worked. And besides, even if it did I can't tell distance. That's like looking through a telescope at the wrong end. I'd just look like an idiot." Yukio chuckled at Denji's self-quip.

"Relax. You can do it. Just try and find a direction at least." Denji smiled. That's why he liked Yukio. He knew what to say.

"Alright buddy, you got it. But watch out for little miss "over exert myself" or she'll pass out again." Denji chuckled at his jab.

"I swear, I'd kill you if I had the strength." Denji chuckled even more, almost laughing.

"I bet you would." And with that he closed his eyes and concentrated. After a minute, he opened them and unsurely pointed. "That's as good as I could get it. I'd need to be closer to actually detect a straight path."

"Which way is it?" Denji looked at Yukio, just remembering his eyes.

"Oh, it's North, Northeast-ish." Yukio nodded.

"Alright, you lead the way and keep concentrating. I'll keep Arine up and walking." Denji raised an eyebrow at their female companion.

"I don't know, maybe walking's to fast. Perhaps crawling would be more suited to her condition." Arine growled as much as she could while Denji chuckled at his quip. Yukio gave a light smile.

"Alright, friend. Lead the way." Denji turned and faced the direction he pointed before heading that way, Yukio close behind. Denji kept a decent pace, enough that they could move pretty fast while keeping within Arine's now limited energy. As they walked, Arine made a point.

"You know genius, we should find a main road first." Denji rolled his eyes.

"I know, I'm trying. And are you sure you have the energy to nag me?" Yukio didn't need a lot of strength to hold her back since she was already weak. Denji chuckled and continued on his merry way, keeping an eye out for roads and keeping part of his attention on the vibrations.

He didn't know how, or why, but Orochimaru's experiments helped hone some ability to sense vibrations in the earth. It would be an invaluable skill to have…. If he could use it to any degree other than extremely rough estimates. And even then, it was rough direction, though he got a better sense as they neared. _Just follow the vibrations._ He chanted to himself a couple times before making sure he didn't run into anything. He hadn't. However, Yukio was tripping up more than usual.

"Yukio buddy, you okay?" Yukio faced the direction of Denji's voice and answered.

"Yes. Just unable to really sense if there are foot hazards around is all." Denji actually retained a remark about Arine since he was sure she'd kill him now, regardless of her state. He chuckled at the thought.

"It's alright. You need me to point anything out? Or do you want Arine to handle it?" Turning back, he noticed a twitch in Yukio's jaw. He got that when he sensed someone trying to pity him. However, he knew when he needed help.

"It'd be helpful." Denji nodded and looked forward again. As he lead the line, making slight turns here and there, he pointed out the various roots and rocks, though missing several due to the limited light of the moon. However, after a good while, he stopped, putting a hand on Yukio's chest to have him halt as well. Arine and Denji looked down at a brightly lit town.

"What is it?" Yukio turned his head left and right, but to no avail. Despite not wanting pit, Denji really felt sorry for him sometimes.

"We found a town, Yukio. Now let's go and get what we need."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Someone liked it. Therefore, I shall, no, MUST continue. I'm having fun with this and I think what I have lined up down the line is going to be pretty good. Anyway, chapter 2 of Absent Serpent (I got the title from a random title generator).**

"So how exactly are we going to get down there and get whatever you want?" Denji bit his lip as Arine kept scolding him. He had not thought that far through.

"I'll find a way, don't worry. If we have to steal I'll go in. I mean, I'm pretty good at that, no?" Arine scoffed.

"Stealing water isn't as big as stealing clothes and supplies from public, calm, and crowded retailers. I'd have a better chance."

"Says the girl who, if she tried, would look like a clumsy farm animal doing it." Arine tried to lunge at him, but Yukio managed to keep her in place, sitting against a tree.

"Perhaps we get things over the course of a couple days rather than all at once. It'll minimize risk." Yukio was still holding Arine down as a light went off in Denji's head.

"Exactly!" He turned and addressed his comrades. "I'll go get some food and clothes tonight, and then some extra stuff tomorrow." Arine sat against the tree again, a scowl on her face. Yukio nodded in agreement with Denji.

"If you want, you can go down now. I can keep Arine company." Denji gave his friend a look he wasn't able to see. However, he gave his thanks and followed a path downwards. As he left, Arine turned to Yukio.

"He seriously pisses me off sometimes." Yukio chuckled.

"It's been like that since we met him. And he's still with us, isn't he?" Arine sighed in agreement. Denji was useful, she admitted that. And he wasn't a bad person, he just got on her nerves a bit. Yukio continued. "And hey, he's got that vibration sensing ability of sorts. Plus his humour-"

"Alright, I get it." Arine relented and stopped talking for a minute. But then something dawned on her. "Wait a minute, if he's getting clothes, how will he know what sizes to get?" She looked at Yukio, who probably would've blinked if he could have.

"I guess he'll just get clothes that are larger sizes for convenience. It makes the most sense." Arine had another realization.

"Wait. What _exactly_ will he steal?" Yukio tilted his head up as he thought a moment. The moment seemed to take forever before he answered.

"I guess some shirts, some pants, maybe a jacket or two, some undergarments. But that's just a guess." Arine felt her face go red.

"Oh kami, I hope he doesn't get underwear for me. That's the last thing I need." Yukio sat for a minute before it hit him.

"Oh, you're embarrassed that he might steal underwear for you. Why?" Arine turned and stared at her blind friend.

"Why? It's embarrassing! Would you want someone getting _you_ possibly lucrative things to wear? How could you not assume it would be embarrassing?" Yukio refrained from pointing out that they just escaped from a prison where nudity was common, though mostly involuntary. And since both of them spent a nice chunk of their lives in said prison, they should be immune to things such as this by now. However, he sat back and let Arine fret. It'd give her something to do. Yukio simply pondered, mostly where to go from here. It was a tough subject.

Denji slowly made his way around a building, making sure no one saw him. A man and woman laughing in a drunken manner passed him by. When the coast was clear, he made his way across a lot to another building. He poked his head out and eyed the clothing store just across the street. He mentally smacked himself for not picking that side first. However, he made his choice. And besides, a little challenge never hurt anyone, eh?

"It'll be easy pickings." He reassured himself. Many clothing stores kept used, old, or unwanted clothes in back storage rooms and kept under minimal to no security. Licking his lips, Denji had a memory of his time back home. It was similar to this one, stealing things from vendors and such. He had no parents he could remember so he made a living on the street. Denji blinked and the coast was clear for a moment. Scolding himself for almost missing it, he bolted behind the business adjacent to the clothing outlet.

Denji stalked forward, until he heard a door open at the clothing store. He ducked behind a small alcove in the neighboring building as he heard the rumblings of an old man.

"People never appreciate my work, too spoiled, a failed generation." He kept rambling as he threw several clothes into a box out back. He stood and stared before turning back and reentering his establishment. Denji poked his head out and then made his way to the large box. Sifting through it, he found quite the treasure trove!

"Oh my, oh my, this is excellent." A grin on his face, he started picking things out. He remembered he didn't ask for sizes, but none of them knew their own sizes so it was irrelevant. He pulled out some large short sleeved shirts for him, Yukio, and Arine. He managed to find decent trousers for the group as well. Then came the undergarments. Denji bit his lip for a moment, actually putting thought into his next actions. It wasn't Yukio or himself, but Arine.

_If I merely grab some, then there's the chance that I won't be killed. However, if I try to guesstimate, then there's a higher chance she'll take offence and kill me. At least grabbing willy-nilly will give me the excuse that I was strapped for time. Choices, choices…._

Denji, however, was strapped for time since he wasn't sure if the old man would be out anytime soon or not for another drop off. With a sigh, he grabbed several types he could find and gathered the whole pile together. Not overly large, about two types of each article per person, he gathered them into a neat little pile and started running. Hiding behind a building, bolting across the street, and then making his way out of the town through a hole in the ground under the wall were trivial, but still carried risk as clothes could drop and he would either have to risk the chance to grab them, or bolt and someone would be uneven. Regardless, he made it out in one piece with everything he came for.

"Just calm down Arine, he'll get what we need." Denji heard Yukio's voice calming Arine, who must've been worried for some reason. As he reached the pair, he saw Yukio sitting next to Arine trying to comfort her for whatever reason. Arine was sitting against the tree with her face red when she looked up. She stood, but she stood too fast and stumbled when Yukio managed to catch her. She looked at Denji and growled

"What did you steal?" Denji stared for a moment before she repeated the question in a more threatening manner. "What. Did. You. Steal. Denji." Denji felt his heart pick up at his possible eminent death, so he set the clothes down.

"Just take your pick guys. I got about two of everything for each of us." Arine tore into the clothes, grabbing what shirts and pants intrigued her. Then she stopped, and picked up a small article of clothing. It was thin, one many women wouldn't be caught wearing unless degradation was their profession. She turned to Denji who gave sheepish chuckle.

"Um, you see. I was strapped for time so I just grabbed-" Arine crushed the article in her hand with anger. "Okay, you're mad. And I get that. But I really, was strapped for time so I had to-"

"I will _murder _you Denji!" She tried lunging, but tripped on the clothes pile. Yukio heard and actually let out a slight snort of laughter. Then she turned on him. "Oh, you think that's funny, eh?" Yukio shook his head.

"I have no idea what's happened, but I guess Denji got something that you didn't want." He snickered. "But hey, there might be something else in there worth wearing." Arine focused on Denji again, who backed up a step.

"Hey, either wear one of the pairs or none, I don't care." She pointed menacingly at Denji before searching again and coming up with a more respectable pair of undergarments. She grabbed a set of clothes and walked behind a tree to change from her rags. Denji looked at Yukio, who still had a snicker in his face. Denji picked a shirt, some boxers, and some pants for him and handed them to Yukio. Denji turned as Yukio changed, and decided to change himself. After a few minutes, the group assembled in their new attire.

Yukio was wearing a large black t-shirt that still fit him semi-decently, and a pair of brown pants. Denji had outfitted himself with a loose red shirt and brown pants. Arine had managed to find a decently cut blue shirt with black shorts. Assessing their outfits, the group nodded, but for Yukio, who was told what the others were wearing.

"Well, it's good enough." Arine seemed somewhat unsatisfied. Denji got a bit annoyed at that.

"Well, you know, I was on a bit of a time limit." Arine glared at him. Denji backed off, knowing he wouldn't be able to win this. And Arine seemed to be able to support herself so she offered to take the lead in their line once more.

"We need to find a shelter. If we're lucky, we can find a cave of sorts. Or some kind of alcove." Yukio reasoned. Both of his companions agreed. Arine kept an eye out while Denji tried to focus on ground vibrations, but was too tired to. Thieving took a lot out of him when he was out of practice. Plus, running from Orochimaru's goons was tiring. Especially when-

"Now what do we have here?" They stopped. In front of them were two Sound village nin. Denji recognized the voice as one of the ones who was searching for them. This must have been that pair. And they walked right in front of them. They had removed their masks to reveal their faces. The second one was smiling.

"I say we got a trio of escapees here." They tried backing up, but the first sound nin jumped and landed behind them, cutting the route off.

"I'd say you're right. We might just get some extra pay for this. Or even a better position. We just have to turn these brats in." Arine, Denji, and Yukio went back-to-back simply because it felt safer. However, the sound nin weren't looking to really attack at the moment. Denji saw something in their eyes, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The second sound nin spoke.

"That's right. All we'd have to do is turn the buggers in and be done with them. However, these guys have caused us a fair amount of trouble haven't they?" The two nin started closing in on the trio. That's when Denji saw what was in their eyes. Hunger. Hunger and revenge.

"You're right. Maybe, just maybe, we could get a little compensation for the trouble we've been caused. It's only fair right?" the first one sneered along with his partner as he grabbed Arine by her newly acquired shirt and forcefully pulled her away from her friends, while the second nin grabbed Denji and Yukio by their necks, holding them in headlocks. Arine started flailing around as much as she could, trying to do some damage to the man. However, it had no effect.

"She's quite the fighter, isn't she?" the one holding the boys asked. The one holding Arine smiled as she struggled and fought.

"That she is. It doesn't matter though. The fighting just makes the whole experience more memorable." He started groping Arine's body as she tried to fight. The nin managed to grasp both of her hands and keep them behind her back as he felt her up. Denji and Yukio tried to struggle their way out of the grip of the shinobi holding them to no avail. Denji could see what was going on, and that was bad enough. Yukio could only hear her anguished screams and imagine what was happening.

"You sick son of a bitch! She's not even thirteen!" Denji managed before getting forearm pressed into his throat. Both of the Sound nin laughed.

"Doesn't matter. She'll experience this whole thing anyway. So why not push the moment a bit earlier. Besides, she'll be more prepared for the world."

"No, you'll just be scarring her for life you egotistical cockbite!" Yukio managed the snarling retort as he, too, was silenced. Denji tried not to watch, but couldn't turn his head as Arine's clothes were torn off. She fought hard, but was erratic like a scared animal. He couldn't blame her. Enraged, he managed to elbow their captor in the groin as hard as he could. Apparently even Sound shinobi weren't immune to crotch shots. As the first Sound nin was about to dominate Arine's young form, Denji quickly grabbed a rock and threw it, hitting him square in the side of the head with surprising accuracy.

"Take that you pathetic pedophile!" He screamed. The Sound nin was standing as Yukio ran at him, guessing from Arine's screams. Throwing what little weight he had into a tackle, Yukio managed to hit the man and push him back a bit. However, the shinobi grabbed Yukio by his scrawny neck and lifted him in the air to strangle him some before throwing his body to the ground with a loud thud. Denji started to bolt, but was also caught by a rough hand.

"You little shits. This'll teach you to fight back." He got a tight hold on Denji and forced his eyes open as the first Sound nin walked over to Arine, a grin on his face. Arine was backing up, unable to stand due to shock. However, the shinobi caught her by the neck and lifted her. Arine managed to get a lucky scratch across the nin's face, causing him to drop her, though not for long. Denji flicked his gaze to Yukio, who was struggling to get up, before looking back at Arine.

"You stupid whore. I'll show you a rough time you'll never forget." He roughly threw her on her stomach and got on his knees, undoing his pants.

"Don't you do it! I swear-" Denji was cut off. Yukoi managed to sit up, but he was coughing and barely moving. The man on Arine was about to enter her. Denji tried to turn his head, but was unable.

_This can't be happening. This just can't. _how could they go from having a bit of fun to this? The man grabbed Arine's hair just as he was about to….

_Schlick!_ He stopped at a black, shining object sprouted from his forehead. He let go of Arine's hair and fell over sideways. The one holding Denji loosened his grip enough for Denji to slip out and stumble away. He turned to see the sound nin turning around, panicked. Then he realized that his hostage was gone. He ran at Denji, anger in his eyes, but never reached him. One, two, three knives appeared in the nin's neck as he collapsed, blood pooling around him. Denji was still, unable to move as a rustling in the bushes assaulted their ears.

Denji turned to see a hooded person walk out. She walked over to the first sound nin and pulled the knife from his forehead before collecting the three from the neck of the other one. The person then turned to the group of three as they took off their hood, revealing long purple hair and fierce blue eyes of a woman.

"Are you kids alright?"

**A/N: Well, there you guise go. The pace may be faster near the end and I apologize for it. I may fix it, I may not. I'm lazy. Anyway, I hope someone enjoyed this chapter. Apparently you know you're making a character right when someone wants to have sexual relations with them. Which is what a friend told me about a character I made (feel free to guess). Anyway, I'm off to hit up an episode of Adventure Time online. Byyyye. **

_**Adventure Time. C'mon, grab your friends.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright, the wait, as it were, is over. Now I know readership is low right now (We're standing at 8 views total at the time this is being written) but I'm confident that I'll get somewhere. Hopefully.**

The night air was still. Which, after the events that just occurred, was appropriate. Denji sat there, frozen, as he stared at the woman who had saved them. She didn't look very nice though, with her hardened blue eyes and taut stature. Her face was more angular than most women and her hair was a decent length of purple. She wore a cloak that covered her entire body but for her face, and she had a hood behind her head that she retracted.

"Well, are you kids alright?" It took a second for Denji to register what she said.

"Um, for the most part." However, Yukio was a bit more distraught.

"What happened to Arine? Is she alright?" He was moving his head from side to side as if looking around. Arine spoke up to calm him.

"I'm alright. Though I could be a lot better." The woman eyed Arine with curiosity.

"Attempted rape is generally something that scars most people for a good while, even making them unresponsive for some time after the event occurred." Arine, who covered herself as much as she could, returned the woman's glare.

"We've dealt with worse than attempted rape. Do you know who Orochimaru is?" The woman's left eye twitched at the mention on the albino man.

"I know what he can do to people, but what does that have with you three?" This time Yukio spoke up.

"We're escapees from one of his prisons. Those were two guards who must have been searching for us." The woman focused her attention on the blind boy. However, her gaze wasn't as hard.

"I think I see now. His prisons are infamous around these parts. I'm surprised kids as young as you are still sane." Yukio took that opportunity to ask another question.

"Where exactly is 'these parts'?"

"You're in the Land of Fire." The collected children gasped. It was farther than they expected. "So what plan did you kids have in mind once you got out?" None of them answered. Yukio managed to say

"I guess find our way to our homes." The woman felt a slight pang of concern. Damn it. She sighed and made them an offer.

"Tell you what, how about I take you to where I live. I can get you cleaned up and then maybe you can figure out what you want to do from there." The three children thought about it. It was a good offer, one they'd be hard pressed to pass up. However, they were still wary.

"Before we go anywhere, what's your name?" Yukio asked. The woman eyed the three fo them.

"My name is Aika. And are you going to accept or not?" Yukio spoke.

"We've got no other safe choice. So yes, we accept." He stood up along with Denji. Aika walked over to Arine.

"Do you need me to carry you?" She was about to protest when she remembered she wasn't fully clothed and she was exhausted from what happened. However, she remembered something else.

"Yukio's blind, at least for now. He'd be the better one to carry since he's lighter than me and he needs it more." Yukio protested.

"Arine it's best you get carried, Denji can guide me."

"Actually" Aika responded "My place isn't incredibly far from here. We can travel by foot if we need to." Yukio nodded.

"Then you can carry Arine. Denji will guide me." Denji nodded.

"I'd watch out when you carry her though. She bites." Aika nodded sarcastically as she knelt down and let Arine grab on to her shoulders.

"Denji I will kill you one of these days." Arine retorted. Denji smiled and put a hand on Yukio's shoulder.

"She'll be fine, buddy. Let's get going." And so the quartet started walking. Denji and Yukio kept close to Aika, who lit a stick on fire for light. After a while the children asked Aika some questions.

"Where are you from?" Yukio asked.

"I'm from the Hidden Leaf village. Though I haven't had anything to do with them for a good while." Arine asked the next question.

"What did you do in there?"

"I was a shinobi. And a damn good one. However, things happened."

"Like what?" Aika sighed.

"That doesn't matter right now. We're here." The trio of kids looked to see a two-story building near the edge of a cliff. It was made of wood with few windows. It had support beams at the bottom to keep it stable. There were no lights on and, if the moon light weren't present, the cabin would have blended in with the forest, somewhat. The space between the cabin and the cliff edge was about the size of a normal backyard. Aika, making sure no one had followed them, went to the front door of the cabin and opened it, ushering Denji and Yukio in before carrying Arine in.

"What's going on? Why is it so dark in here?" Yukio was, surprisingly, the one making the observation. Denji had a little snort.

"It's always dark for you, Yukio. But hey, soon you might get to take off those bandages." Light flooded in the room as Yukio was about to respond, but Denji shushed him. Aika set Arine down on the solitary couch in the room and removed her cloak to cover the young girl.

"Alright, first things first: We need to clean you guys up a bit." Looking at Arine, Aika continued. "Perhaps you can wear something of mine till tomorrow when we can go get some clothes for you all." She glanced at Yukio and Denji. "However, I want to clean and change those bandages. They look disgusting." None of the assembled could disagree. So Aika went over to another small room and brought out some bandages, a cloth, and disinfectant.

"Will this hurt much?" Yukio queried. Aika sighed and knelt down to Yukio's eye level.

"Kid, this will probably sting quite a lot. But this is minor compared to what you all probably went through in one of Orochimaru's prisons." With that, Aika unwrapped Yukio's bandages, which were dirty and long overdue for a change.

When she finished she was greeted with the face of a normal boy, but the area around his eyes was red and swollen, with a cut having some green due to infection. Biting her lip, Aika put some disinfectant on the cloth and started wiping the red area. Yukio flinched at the pain, but quickly got used to it. The swelling decreased a bit and his skin lost some of the red, but that cut started fizzing, showing that the disinfectant was getting rid of the bacteria.

_I just might need the help of a medic nin for this. He might have early blood poisoning, I don't know. _Aika cleaned Yukio's closed eyes as much a she could before wrapping clean, white bandages around them. When she finished, Yukio smiled in relief.

"Thank you, Aika. It feels good to have a feeling of cleanliness again." Aika felt a twinge of pity. It sucked that these kids were out on their own, but to be stuck in one of Orochimaru's prisons…. She shuddered. That man was a menace. However, Aika kept a straight face and stood.

"No problem. Now you, with the silver hair." She pointed at Denji. He had a look of realization on his face.

"Denji."

"Denji, do you have any wounds that need any treatment?" He shook his head. He felt fine. Aika turned to Arine. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Arine shook her head as well. Aika sighed. "Alright then. You all need some sleep and so do I. So I'll take you upstairs and lay out some mats for you to sleep on, is that alright?"

"It's better than what we've been given of late." Yukio stated. Aika nodded.

"Alright, Denji, could you take Arine upstairs please?" Denji shrugged and walked over to Arine, who seemed too tired to protest. While they went upstairs, Aika held Yukio back for a second.

"Is something wrong?" Aika sighed.

"Listen Yukio, I'm not a medic ninja so I can't cure your eyes. What I'm thinking is that tomorrow or sometime soon, we contact a friend of mine who's a good at medical ninjutsu. She might be able help us figure out if your eyes are going to see again and if we can heal them. Is that okay?" Yukio tilted his head down for a second before responding.

"Yeah, it's fine. I can wait." Aika grinned slightly.

"Alright, you head upstairs, you need your sleep." Yukio cocked his head to the side, as if her statement confused him.

"What about you? Shouldn't you go to sleep?" Aika had to hand it to this kid. He was blind at the moment, and possibly for the rest of his natural life, but he had something about him that made him curious and logical. The logical side she remembered from… that wasn't important.

"I don't sleep much kid. Besides, I wasn't chased down by Sound nin. You need it more than I." Yukio seemed to ponder for a moment before turning around a few times until Aika led him to the stairs. He got on his hands and feet and crawled up the stairs slowly. She had a slight chuckle she suppressed. He was allowed, considering his blindness. Once he was safely upstairs, Aika walked over to the door and exited her cabin. She gave a whistle and a small bird with a pack on its back flew from the trees and landed on her shoulder.

"You think you can carry a message?" The little bird nodded and chirped. Aika sat down on the steps to her cabin and pulled a piece of paper and a pen. She started writing out the message to her friend. Hopefully, she'd respond with good news. Signing it and rolling the paper into a cylinder, Aika sored it in the little bird's pack.

"Get this to you know who ASAP." The little bird chirped and flew off. Aika sat for a second before standing and making her way back into the cabin. This wasn't a night she'd sleep peacefully.

"So what did Aika want with you?" Denji asked. Yukio turned his head to him.

"She said she knew a medical ninja who could see if my eyes will work again." Yukio hated being blind. He was a liability. He hoped this medical nin could cure his eyes.

"So what you're saying is that there's a chance." Yukio turned his head in the direction of Arine's voice.

"Basically. A chance, but I don't know the odds."

"Don't even try, Yukio. You're not the greatest gambler." Yukio turned his head to Denji's voice.

"Hey, at least I care to figure out the odds as opposed to going in without thought." Denji chuckled.

"Relax Yukio. It was a joke. And besides, charging in any situation without knowing is fun. The most fun one can have." Arine snorted.

"What about your thievery skills? Doesn't that take a little planning out?" Denji scoffed.

"Oh please. All it takes is knowing where the shadows are and sticking to them." Yukio took advantage of Denji's slip-up.

"But that's planning ahead, Denji. Figuring out where the shadows are and how to stay in them is reconnaissance. That's prior planning." Denji sighed. Yukio found that to be one of Denji's less than reputable qualities.

"Fine! I guess even my thievery takes a _little_ planning."

"And suddenly, the incorrigible idiot makes an admission of intelligence." Yukio chuckled at Arine's quip while he heard Denji snort out of annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah, you guys got your jokes in, now can we get to sleep? I'm tired." Yukio heard Denji lean over and click something. Must have been a lamp of sorts. And due to a lack of power out in nature, it must have been oil powered. Much like the one in the front-room. In fact…

"Yukio!" he turned his head in Arine's direction at her rough whisper. "Just go to sleep. We should rest up and save our energy for later. Can you not think about stuff for one night?" Yukio gave a small noise of agreement before he lay down on the soft bed roll beneath him. Thinking generally helped to drown out the moans and mutterings of other prisoners. Now that he was in a sparsely populated space, he found the silence deafening. He hated that. So he started thinking, solving problems, and coming to conclusions before he fell asleep due to exhaustion.

Aika's little bird, Botan, made his avian way to a loud and obnoxious town. He dived under some beams and found the place he was looking for. He landed on an outside window sill and pecked at the window until a form rose from the dark room and opened the window. A woman stood and looked down at the bird, a look of recognition on her face. She opened his pack and pulled the roll of paper and read it.

_Shizune I've got three kids I rescued from some Sound nin. Apparently they're escapees from one of Orochimaru's prisons. One of them has his eyes in a bad way. They did something to them in that prison and I need you to check if he'll be able to see again. And perhaps a check-up on the other kids. Please respond. _

_- Aika_

Shizune read over the paper a few times and thought. She turned to Tsunade, who was passed out drunk on one of the bed rolls, her clothes… not completely covering her. Sighing, Shizune figured that a tip to a gambling town near that area wouldn't be suspicious. And Tsunade wasn't incredibly keen on helping people when she thought she was on a streak. Grabbing her writing materials, Shizune wrote down a response. Once finished, she put it in Botan's pack and sent him off flying. Shizune closed the window and tried to go back to sleep. It was tough, with the mention of Orochimaru. She'd get to the bottom of this child's issue.

**A/N: Well, there's chapter 3. Took less time than expected, but what are you gonna do, eh? As of THIS particular authors note, Absent Serpent has 11 views. I'm past 10, hell YES! So yeah, please read and review. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright, as of this authors note I have 16 views for Absent Serpent. And 1127 for Emerald Shades. I love the people who've been reading Absent Serpent (I'm mainly talking about my friend ZeroJackson since he's the only one nice enough to review. I don't know anyone else who is reading this so yeah.) Anyway, I'm having a good time writing this, and I hope you guys are having a good time reading it.**

Aika was woken by a tapping on a downstairs window. She woke up quickly, and remembered she was on the couch. Getting up, she walked over to the window and opened it to let Botan in. She opened his pack and pulled a fresh piece of paper out. Unrolling it, she read the note with some relief.

_Aika,_

_Lady Tsunade and I can detour to a town near you due to its gambling houses. While Lady Tsunade is busy, I can make my way to you and examine these children. If you want, I can also refresh any medical supplies you need._

_Shizune_

Aika tucked the paper away in a drawer by the couch as she wrote out a thank-you note to her friend. She put it in Botan's pack and told him

"Head to town and wait around the gambling house. When Shizune comes, give her the message." Botan chirped and flew off. Aika knew it was now a matter of waiting. However, she had some duties to take care of while she did.

"I really should have planned this out." Aika stared into a food chest with only instant food, and not a whole lot. Enough for breakfast, perhaps lunch.

_It shouldn't matter, I can get food later._ She pulled out a couple packs of instant ramen, a pot, and a pot stand. She set up the simple contraption and gathered some fire wood. Setting it under, she created a flurry of handsigns.

"Fire Style: Searing Embers." Putting a hand to her mouth, she let out a puff of air and a small puff of fire flew, igniting the wood. She then took the pot a distance away from the small blaze and stung together some more handsigns.

"Water Style: Fountain." Putting her hand to her mouth once more, she fired water from her mouth at a low speed and filled the pot quickly. She placed the pot on the stand above the fire to boil. This would take a bit. She stared at the pot for a while when a phrase came to mind from an old… friend.

_A watched pot never boils._ Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, Aika tried to forget his constant little helpful tips and proverbs. It was annoying. Opening her eyes, Aika saw the water start to bubble a bit. She opened the ramen noodles and put them in, allowing them to soak while she woke the kids. She entered her cabin and walked upstairs to the door that led to their room. She opened it.

"Aye! Get up!" All three kids jerked up and looked around to find the source of the noise. They seemed to have slept soundly. Aika left them saying "Breakfast is being cooked. Hope you guys like instant."

"I gotta say, this is pretty good. Better than what they served in the prison." Denji commented whilst he slurped his ramen. They were situated outside and sat on logs while they ate. Arine sat there, eating hers at a normal pace while Yukio sat there, eating slowly as if he were nervous. Of course, Aika told them that her friend Shizune would come by to check up on them and see of Yukio's eyes were able to be saved. Of course he was nervous. He was about to find out if he could see ever again. Poor guy.

"Denji, they barely served us anything, and what they did was stale bread at best." Arine responded to Denji's statement. Denji chuckled.

"Exactly! So anything would be better than that, and that's what this is: anything." Aika's face gained a semi-threatening look.

"So you're saying my spare food is equal to, say, deer entrails?" Arine smiled. She got him.

"I wouldn't know, I don't remember eating anything before I wound up in Orochimaru's prison." Aika made a grunt noise.

"Well, savour it while you can. I'm running out so I'll need to head to town in a while. You kids can stay here while I do so, okay?" The kids nodded and accepted the circumstances. Aika started washing her bowl with a jug of water and a cloth as the rest finished up. Arine looked at Yukio was still only halfway through.

"Yukio." He turned his head to her. "Eat your breakfast, it's probably better to have a full stomach so it can calm your nerves." Biting his lip, Yukio nodded and resumed eating, albeit with a little more vigour. Arine grunted approval and scowled at Denji, who was literally licking the bowl clean. Noticing, he stopped and gave her a look that said "What did you expect?" Signing, Arine ate the last of the noodles before going over to Aika to wash it.

"So, how do you think Yukio is holding up?" Arine looked up at Aika. Odd, she should be able to tell that by body language since she is a shinobi. However, Arine humoured her.

"He seems nervous, and he doesn't get really nervous often. He's good at keeping himself composed, but this is deciding a big part of his life. So yeah, he's nervous. But he'll pull through despite the outcome." Aika was about to say something when Botan chirped and someone else spoke.

"So are these the children?" They all turned to the voice and saw a woman with short black hair and a kind face wearing a black kimono and sandals. Aika smiled lightly.

"Shizune, it's nice to see you. It's earlier than I expected." Shizune smiled sheepishly.

"Lady Tsunade had an early meet at a local gambling house so she'll be there for a good while. I decided to take my leave once she started playing." Aika chuckled a bit before remembering why she asked Shizune out here.

"Oh by the way, these are the children." She motioned to them. "Arine, Denji, and Yukio." Arine, still wearing Aika's cloak due to lack of viable clothing, gave Shizune a nod. Denji eyed her as if had ideas in his head. He smiled and nodded, but that dumb look in his eye was still there. Arine rolled her eyes. Yukio turned his head to Shizune, but merely kept his non-gaze on her. Shizune nodded and smiled before asking Aika about the schedule.

"So I assume you want Yukio to go first?" Aika nodded, but turned and asked the boy himself.

"Do you want to go first? Just get it over with?" Yukio lowered his head a minute and thought. Arine sometimes wondered what went on inside that head of his. However, his internal conflict seemed to be resolved as he took a deep breath and answered.

"Alright, let's do this." He stood and Arine took his bowl. Shizune smiled and walked with him to the cabin as Aika gathered the dishes.

"Shizune's not going to cut him open or anything, so if you want to be with him for his examination, you can." Arine and Denji stood and thanked Aika and followed Yukio into the cabin. Shizune set Yukio down on the couch and unwrapped his bandages, revealing his closed eyes. The red had all but disappeared and the swelling had gone down considerably, if not disappeared completely.

"Alright Yukio, this won't hurt. I'm going to examine you with my medical ninjutsu and see if you'll be able to see again, okay?" Yukio nodded, taking another deep breath. Shizune smiled and wove together a few hand-signs before putting her palms together and a light green chakra covered them. She lowered her hands over Yukio's eyes and closed her own to concentrate.

_This makes no sense._ Was her first thought. She pushed deeper with her chakra and examined more. This couldn't have made sense. Something was afoot here.

"Is something wrong Shizune?" the medical nin looked up at Aika.

"It's odd. You said Yukio's bandages were old and dirty, right?" Aika nodded.

"Well, that surprises me. Who ever worked on his eyes took tremendous care. In fact, with a little work, he could be able to see today." Yukio gasped audibly, surprising the rest. Shizune kept a calm face. "What's odd is that the bandages were even allowed to go into that condition. Why take this much care on his eyes and let him almost suffer infection later?"

"Well, we were kept in a more less than desirable part of the prison. Well, more less than desirable than usual." Denji offered. Shizune sighed.

"Never mind. It's probably only speculation at this point. Right now, however, I could work on his eyes and get them working right if you want." She glanced down at the blind boy. "Do you want me to do that now?" Yukio nodded, unable to speak due to either excitement or just astonishment. Licking her lips, Shizune removed her hands and wove more hand-signs, putting more chakra into her hands.

"Now Yukio, this will hurt a bit. Can you handle it?" He nodded. Shizune took the opportunity to put her hands over his eyes. Yukio sucked air into his teeth and gripped the couch as he felt the chakra start to work its way into his eyes. Shizune simply moved her hands back forth across his eyes and temples, making sure to heal everything she could.

The process took a decent amount of time, enough that Aika took the time to have a short nap. Arine and Denji stood by the couch, hoping that they could see their friends eyes. Arine remembered meeting Yukio before either of them met Denji, and his eyes were bad. They might have been blue, but they were almost completely white, he could barely see blurs. But now…

"Finished." Aika opened her eyes and stepped over to Yukio. Shizune lifted her hands and spoke to Yukio. "Alright, sit up and open your eyes slowly, we want them to adjust to being able to see." Yukio shifted position and took a deep breath before he slowly slid his eyelids open. When they opened barely, he shrunk away as the light temporarily blinded him before his eyes adjusted. He opened them fully and everyone gasped.

"Kami….." Yukio could barely speak as he was able to see his friends faces. He looked over and saw Shizune's pretty face. He turned and saw Aika's rough, but angular face with her purple hair. But they looked at him weird. "What?" he asked. Aika walked away and got a small mirror and held it in front of Yukio's face. He saw why they were staring at him weird.

"What in the hell?" His eyes weren't blue. They were yellow and had slit pupils. Like a reptile. Like a snake. What happened to him?

"I don't know everything that's been changed about your eyes, Yukio. But if I'm correct, you should have better sight than most, especially better night vision. Just look on the bright side, okay?" Yukio let Shizune's words sink in. Better vision than most people, eh? He smiled.

"That's actually pretty interesting. Question is, how human are my eyes?" Yukio looked at Shizune, noticing the small things, such as the subtle movements in her face. These eyes really were better.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. However, I wouldn't put it past Orochimaru to have snake DNA spliced into your eyes. Can you see us normally?" Yukio nodded, thinking about what snakes could see. The fact slipped his mind.

"Well snakes see in infrared, which allows them to see heat. Perhaps you don't have that or maybe it has to be activated some other way." Now Yukio was curious. However, the notion for some testing had to be shelved. He turned to Shizune, an appreciated look in his eye.

"Thanks for healing my eyes. I have no way of repaying you." Shizune smiled and replied

"Just stay alive so that my work doesn't go to waste." She turned to Arine and Denji. "I want to give you two check-ups as well." They shrugged and Arine was lead to another room. Aika leaned over the back of the couch.

"So kid, what do you really think?" Yukio frowned.

"I think I need to test my eyes and see if there're any side effects. But we'll do that later."

"Okay, Yukio you need to listen to me." Both turned to Denji. "Just enjoy your eyes, don't go dissecting the, just yet. Worry about this stuff later. As in _way_ later. You're able to see again, just enjoy it to the fullest." Yukio raised an eyebrow.

"That's probably one of the most serious things you've ever said to me." Denji smiled.

"See? I can be smart too." Just then, Shizune walked out with Arine and motioned Denji to go with her. He gave Yukio a look that said _She wants me, _and topped it off with an odd eyebrow wiggle before heading with the medical nin. Yukio chuckled and Arine scoffed.

"You see that look on his face?" Aika asked the two kids. "That's the look of a man who's about to plunder him some ass." Right on time, they heard a loud slap echo from the room. The kids looked at Aika. "I never said he'd succeed." Denji walked out with a red mark on his face that looked suspiciously like a hand and Shizune with an irritated look on her face.

"Well, that should about do it." She composed herself and gave the group a brighter look. "Well, I'll be off now. Aika, take care of yourself and the kids."

"Actually, Shizune, I need to head into town and I need to bring the kids with me. Mind if we tag alone for a bit?" The kids looked at Aika.

"I thought you said we could stay here." Arine was the one who spoke. Aika gave her a lazy look.

"Well, if I'm going to get you kids clothes, I need you there with me." Aika straightened herself and stretched as the kids thought. Yukio proposed the question.

"What about Arine? How will we work that?" Aika popped her neck before she responded.

"We take her down in the cloak, she tries on some stuff, and she wears it out of the store. Simple." The kids shrugged, seemed like a solid plan.

"Alright" Yukio sighed. "Let's go."

**A/N: You'd think that, with the time I spend between chapters, they'd be longer. Well, I'm a bit OCD in that I have to have 6 pages in length. But I'll try to make an effort to put out longer chapters so that these waits are more rewarding. Speaking of which, this has 20 views now, as of this Author's Note. So yeah, let's keep those views a-comin'.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Courtesy of the forum "Anime Review World" my view count doubled to 42 views. So yeah, victory dance. Apologies for the late update, but I had a lazy streak. However, with Emerald Shades (my other story) having its 5****th**** chapter out, I'm finally able to go about this. **

"Even though my eyesight is back, I find this place boring." Yukio stood in the clothing store, tapping his foot while Arine was picking something out. Denji shared Yukio's sentiment and sighed heavily.

"Yukio's right, this place is boring. Watching grass grow is more entertaining than waiting like this." Yukio bit the inside of his cheek to stem the boredom, but he was beginning to hate the taste of his own mouth more and more.

"Do all girls take this long?" He finally asked Aika, who hadn't purchased anything herself.

"You probably find this place boring because there's nothing to stimulate you guys." Yukio nodded while Denji noticed a couple girls walk into the changing rooms near Arine's. He donned a sly grin.

"I know something that can stimulate me." However, he noticed Aika giving him a dirty look and held himself back. Yukio had been leaning against a wall with his eyes closed, pondering.

"You do realize they'd kill you in seconds, right? Women are vicious creatures when they want to be." Denji glared at Yukio.

"Yeah, but they aren't always vicious. Hell, some even like that kind of thing." Yukio opened one golden eye and looked at his friend. He was about to respond when Aika chimed in.

"You have to realize kid; those women are few and far between. You'd spend years trying to find one and fail for most of that time." Denji bit his lip in defeat while Yukio smiled and closed his eye. However, his thoughts were disrupted when Arine stepped out of the changing room. The assembled looked on as Arine presented herself in her finally chosen attire.

"Well, I'm done." The group admired her choice. She chose black shorts that went to just below mid-thigh, mesh stockings, one that went from her left ankle to her knee, and other going from the end of her shorts to her knee, and a deep ocean blue shirt with short sleeves.

"Not bad. You sure none of that would impede fighting?" Arine nodded at Aika's question. She had told them before hand: Only get clothes that allow free movement. "Alright, then. Who wants the room next?" Denji strode forward, walked in, and locked the door as Arine stood near Yukio.

"You guys picked yours our already?" Yukio merely motioned to his left arm, which had his chosen clothes draped over it. "Alright, then. Where's Shizune?"

"Shizune could only stay a couple minutes before she had to go." Shizune had left quite quickly after Arine went to change. Said something about keeping her appointments with her teacher.

"Alright." Arine had just finished her word when Denji almost burst out of the room. The boy had chosen some heavy clothing, large black pants, a light grey shirt, and a thick black jacket that had way too many pockets than one would need. Closer inspection of his pants revealed the same thing.

"It's got lots of storage for secret weapons." He said. Aika tried to see if he'd get some lighter clothes weight wise, but Denji was adamant that he could fight in them so Aika relented for now. As Denji tried to strut his stuff for the same girls he was staring at earlier, Yukio walked into the changing room. As he closed the door, he heard a very loud smack, followed by Denji yelling out

"The hell was that for!?" Chuckling, Yukio stripped down to his skivvies and readied to change. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and stared. He was pale, quite thin, and had several scars running along his body from various abuses by guards. He looked so weak. Giving himself a semi-death stare, he dressed and walked out as he finished. Denji and Arine were arguing about why she hit him, but stopped when Yukio stepped out.

"Well, interesting choices." Aika remarked. Yukio had donned thin black pants, a short sleeved shirt that was a violent shade of electric blue, and a black overcoat that went to just above the knee.

"It's not too bad is it?" he queried. He glanced around and saw Arine had donned an ash grey jacket that had two buttons below her chest and only went down to her waist. Meanwhile, Aika gave Yukio his answer.

"It's not bad, thin and loose clothes are good. Plus the jacket could hide some things, and be quickly disposed of."

"Hey, you complained about my jacket, but his is longer!" Aika glared at Denji for the umpteenth time today.

"His is thin and light, yours is thick and heavy. There's a difference." Denji pouted while the group purchased the clothes. Aika had her cloak draped over her arm. She said she'd wash it and all would be good. The group exited the store and made the semi-short journey to Aika's cabin, where they set down some things Aika purchased before they got clothes. When everything was put away, food wise, they all headed outside where Aika assumed the role of teacher.

"Alright, I'm going to ask you a few things before we really start, that alright?" the kids standing in front of her nodded. "Alright, do any of you know where you originally came from?"

"I'm from the Hidden Stone village." Denji was the first to answer.

"I'm from the Hidden Mist." Arine.

"The Hidden Cloud." Yukio. Aika pondered a second.

"Alright, do any of you know how to channel chakra?" The trio nodded. Fair enough. "Alright, that should do it. For now we'll try and learn your chakra natures, but focus on the physical stuff first. Then I'll try to get you to learn jutsu according to your chakra natures, and then we'll combine both. Sound fair?"

"It's alright with me." Yukio was the only responder, while the others nodded. Aika nodded and brought out three thin slips of paper.

"Since you know how to at least channel chakra, channel it into these slips of paper." She gave one to each child. "If it burns up, you have fire nature. If it soaks, you have a water nature. If it crinkles, you have lightning nature. If it tears in two, you have wind nature. And if it turns to dust and crumbles, you have earth nature. Now focus and we'll see what you'll all be taught."

Each one concentrated, focusing their chakra into the papers. Denji was the first to achieve an answer, his turning to dust and crumbling in his hand. Arine's soaked as if she'd dipped it in water. Yukio's crinkled.

"Alright, not surprising, but good. The most common natures from each of your villages." Aika took the papers. "Now that we have that sorted out, let's get you some weapons if you want." The trio agreed and Aika returned to the cabin and went to the attic, where the children slept the previous night. She came down with a large bag over her shoulders and a small foldable table under her arm.

"So what all do you have there?" Denji queried to which Aika gave him a withering look. Denji backed off while Aika set the table up and she set the large bag and opened it. She laid out several weapons, small swords, knives, etc.

"Now, take a look and see if anything interests you." As the group examined the weapons before them, Arine was the first to pick something. She picked up two pieces of a trident. She connected the two pieces and twirled it in her hand for a second before smiling.

"I remember using one of these when I was really small. Barely. But still, I like it." Arine twirled it a bit more and stepped back so no one got impaled. Denji kept looking, but found nothing that interested him. He would have chosen a hammer of sorts, but there wasn't one. As much as he looked, Denji couldn't find anything suited to him. Aika merely stated

"Not every shinobi is suited to wield a weapon. Some prefer taijutsu. In fact, some are experts in the area of using pure taijutsu in combat. I know one. He's annoying." Denji merely shrugged and backed off, letting Yukio take the pick of the litter. He scanned the table for less time than he thought. His eye was quickly drawn to two black, telescoping spikes, with several smaller spikes in between them.

"These are interesting." They were. Possible throwing and impaling weapons, only the tip was sharp, and they were probably very strong.

"Those are retractable spears. Compact and strong. It takes a dedicated person to learn how to use these since there's only one truly deadly part: the tip. So slashing would take time to learn. And these" she motioned to the smaller ones that were a more ash grey colour. "Those are meant for throwing, but the spears can be thrown as well. They're somewhat bigger than senbon, which are thin needles. And each comes with a type of holster." Aika showed Yukio two black holders for the large spears, and several smaller holders for the throwing ones. "These can go almost anywhere on the body so choose what's comfortable, but not inconvenient in a fight."

"You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention." Yukio grabbed one of the retractable spears and flicked his wrist, sending the tip out. Extended, the whole thing was about as long as his arm. Not bad. With another wrist flick, the spear retracted and Yukio nodded his affirmation. He took the two holders for the spears and put them on the spots he felt were most comfortable: the one he'd use in his right hand would go on his lower back, while the one he'd use in his left hand would go on his left thigh. Aika helped Yukio put two holders on his arms and loaded several of the throwing spears.

Each was almost as long as Yukio's forearm and the holders had a cycling mechanism so that he could pull out three between his fingers quickly and quietly with a few wrist motions. A few other projectiles went into holders on the inside of Yukio's coat. When he was finished with getting ready, Aika packed the bag, folded the tao small bells in her hand. ble, and brought the trio of fledging shinobi to a more open part of the grassy area.

"Alright, aside from Denji, we seem to have some form of weapon?" Arine was leaning against her trident while Yukio scratched at his wrist, but he nodded. Denji wasn't looking too beat up about not having a weapon. Aika made a mental note to give him some taijutsu lessons before she continued. "Alright, we'll begin your first practice. This exercise is something I learned from an old friend and it's good." Aika held up two small silver bells in her hand.

"You want us to get those bells? But there's only two." Denji made the observation and Aika nodded.

"That's correct. And the exercise is simple: Get the bells from me." Yukio raised an eyebrow, Arine had a ghost of a smile, while Denji grinned.

"Cakewalk." Aika gave the silver haired boy a condescending smile.

"Simple goal, yes. But the important thing to consider is the difficulty of the journey, not the simplicity of the goal. With that said, if you don't get a bell by lunch, you don't get lunch. If you get a bell then you're free from the exercise. Whomever doesn't get a bell, will be forced into extra training. If you try to make food or eat anything, then you'll get tied up while we eat in front of you. Fair enough?" It was still relatively early, about two or so hours before noon if you judged by the position of the sun.

"Seems fair." Yukio spoke while the other two nodded in agreement. Aika clipped the two bells to her belt, her purple hair lighter than usual in the sunlight. She walked over to the weapons bag and pulled out an alarm clock. She fiddled with it for a minute before setting it down.

"Alright, the forest around us is fair game. Don't pull dumb moves with the cliff, as you'll just get hurt or killed. And one final thing." Aika stared each of her new students in the eye. "When you come at me, do it as if you're going to kill me. Otherwise, you've already failed. Ready?" The trio nodded. "Go!" All three scattered into the forest. Aika glanced at the forest wall and smiled. This was going to be the first bit of fun she'd have in a long, long time.

Arine sat perched in a tree branch, her trident in an over-the-shoulder holster on her back. She wasn't going to try and attack Aika, that'd be stupid. No, she was waiting. Because she knew what was going to happen. While she waited, she let out a deep breath, appreciating the fresh, open air. Time spent in a prison along with little time outside made one have more lust for outdoor activities. Her brown hair, however, was starting to bother her a bit. She'd look into getting it shortened a tad. However, a rustle interrupted her thoughts.

"It's about time." Yukio landed on a branch next to her, looking visibly strained. Arine wondered why he went by tree. But Yukio was always smart, he must have had a reason.

"Well, I had to get Denji to take an alternate route."

"We'll be lucky if he makes it before noon." However, Denji managed to climb his way up to a branch beside his comrades just after Arine's jab.

"Hey, I'm better than you think." Arine was about to argue when Yukio put a finger to his lips.

"Alright, here's the thing. None of us have any hope to get a bell from her alone. So we'll have to work together to get one or both. Meaning one of us will have to go hungry for today." Denji raised his hand.

"I'll do it. I might as well." Neither Yukio nor Arine argued. Denji was one who tried to stay with his goals.

"Alright then, here's the thing: if we attack all at once, we'll be doomed. I think we should stagger our attacks. So Arine will go first, then Denji, then I'll enter. Maybe we'll have a shot then." Arine nodded her affirmation, as did Denji. Yukio nodded and finished his plan. "Alright, if this fails, then we'll regroup here and re-plan, deal?" Nods all around. "Alright, let's go find Aika. But let's do it on the ground, we'll be useless from above." The trio dropped and made their way around the forest, keeping a close eye out until they saw Aika standing in a clearing, hand in a sign and her eyes closed in concentration.

"When should I go?" Yukio licked his lips in thought.

"Go now. Denji, go around that way and wait until Arine's been fighting for a few seconds." Denji nodded and left while Arine moved slowly around so that Aika's back was to her. Unslinging her trident, Arine knelt down like a runner. Then she bolted out, throwing her trident at Aika. Aika merely moved to the right as the weapon sank into the ground. Arine reached for it when Aika gripped her wrist with in a steel vice.

"Horrid first attack. Never let your weapon out of your hands." Arine tried to kick Aika, but the purple-haired shinobi blocked with her shin and let go of Arine's wrist before giving her a kick in the stomach, sending the girl sprawling. As Arine tried to get up, Denji burst from the area and tried going hand to hand with Aika. However, that bout ended as quickly as it began with Aika landing a punch to Denji's jaw, causing him to reel back. Arine grabbed her trident and swung at Aika, who managed to dodge. She whipped around and was about to hit Arine when she stopped mid attack as three small objects gleamed for a second as they flew over Aika's arm before they landed in the earth.

"Nice attempt." Aika landed a hit on Arine with her other hand as she picked the mini spears between her fingers and threw them back at Yukio, sinking them into the tree he had climbed. Yukio himself jumped from above, pulling one of his spears and extending it. He started slashing with it, Aika dodging each attempt. After the 8th swing, she grabbed the spear and kicked Yukio's legs out from under him before pulling him by the spear and punching him square in the jaw, forcing him into the ground hard.

Arine saw an opportunity and thrust her trident at Aika's waist, where the bells were exposed. As she did though, Denji came up and tried to attack Aika. Aika grabbed him and swung him around, making Arine's trident cut him and leave a gash on his side.

"Damn it!" Denji knelt down as Aika kicked Arine into him. Yukio charged at Aika, his spear about to be thrust at her when she stepped to the side, making Yukio trip over his own feet and fall to the ground. Aika strolled over rot the downed group and looked like she was about to finish them off when the alarm went off. Aika stopped for a second as the alarm rang, but was stopped after a few seconds.

"Alright you three, get back to the cabin. I'll tell you what your problems are." Aika then walked off, while the trio got up slowly and painfully. They got themselves as right as they could and made it back to the cabin where Aika was standing next to… Aika? One Aika was sitting in the shade while the other stood at attention. The sitting Aika stared at the trio and snapped her fingers, making the standing one disappear.

"What was that?" Yukio queried.

"A shadow clone. That's what you three fought." The trio was stunned. They only fought a clone? "And let me say, that was terrible." Aika stood and walked over to the kids. "First, I'll address the good point. Your plan wasn't bad, but you merely assumed that you'd have a chance if you attacked with all of you. That was a terrible assumption, one that could get comrades killed. Now, the bad things, Arine." She turned her vision to the girl. "You _never_ throw your weapon when you first attack. You can lose your weapon and have it sued against you so fast it'll make your head spin.

"Denji, you feel that gash on your side?" Denji got a very bitter look. "That's due to inattentiveness. Had you cared to look, you would have seen Arine preparing to attack. Instead you charged headlong and got hurt but your own comrade. That could get you killed just as fast as a smaller mistake, if not faster.

"And Yukio." Aika's glare was only a smidgen less intimidating. A smidgen. "You completely ignored your plan. You only wanted to attack with everyone, hoping that you'd maybe get a shot. That's a deadly assumption. Next, you ignored your teammates, even hiding longer than them to get a better shot for yourself. That's not just deadly, it's selfish and unfair." None of the three could say anything to the contrary. Aika had told them the blunt truth. Aika, however, had a slight soft spot at the moment.

"Alright, go inside and get Denji's wound treated. Then we'll got some food going, you'll need it. I have some more fundamental training after lunch for you, so be ready. I understand this was your first time, but we need to nip these things in the bud, understand?" all three nodded and took Denji inside. Aika sighed. These kids had a long road ahead of them. She hoped they could handle it.

**A/N: FINALLY! Got this shit done! Since I've gotten a couple more people interested that actually like it (And care to freaking review it) I'm striving for longer chapters. Not 9000 words a chapter, but enough to be more substantial. This may not be updated for a bit as I need to get a test chapter for another fic out and then Emerald Shades chapter 6. Should be fun. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm gonna take a note from BP when I say: I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't updated since APRIL but I forgot that, guess what, time fucking passes. So before I knew it, it was May and I hadn't updated this since fucking April 18****th****. So to give you all repentance, this is chapter 6 of Absent Serpent.**

"It's so hot out here." The trio of fledging mentees were eating lunch after their astounding failure during Aika's practice. Needless to say, they weren't in the mood for complaining.

"Stop complaining, we've got bigger issues to work out." Arine especially wasn't too happy. Denji glared at her.

"I got a nasty cut on my side, I've every right to complain." Denji was cut by Arine's newfound trident on accident. They bandaged him up before eating. His side still hurt quite a bit.

"Let's not focus on our failures and let's focus on what we'll soon accomplish, alright?" Yukio's head hurt, he didn't want to deal with an argument at the moment. He had removed his jacket to show the braces on his forearms that held the oversized needles.

"That's the spirit kid." All three looked up to see Aika, who had a ghost of a smile on her face. "I know I was harsh back there but I have to be, okay?" The group nodded sullenly. "Good. Once you're finished lunch, we'll get to some minor chakra control so you can learn to perform jutsu."

"Excellent. We look forward to it." Aika walked back into the cabin to get some things while the trio let out a collective sigh.

"This is harder than I thought." Denji commented. Yukio and Arine looked at him like he was stupid. He looked up, noticing the silence. "I meant this bread roll." He held of the guilty pastry and showed that it was, in fact, hard and stale. Arine quickly went back to eating while Yukio set his dish down. He leaned back and looked up at the clear sky. It was too hot here, Denji was right. However, he wasn't going to complain. He'd been through worse. He hoped he wouldn't soften. He needed to be strong so he could find…

"Alright everyone, you finished?" The trio looked up at Aika, who hadn't even broken a sweat despite the heat.

"I am." Yukio glanced at his friends, who both nodded. Aika let out a breath and gave them their orders.

"Good, go inside and put your things where they need to be put. Then come out here, in appropriate attire." She glared and Denji, who had donned his jacket over his exposed torso which had the bandage from his gash.

"What? I don't want to get sunburnt." Yukio and Arine glared at him again. Denji seriously looked like he didn't know what the issue was. Aika sighed.

"You know what, forget it. Just get ready for the next lesson." She walked off to go prepare what she needed to prepare. The trio got up and stretched before going inside the cool cabin and putting their things away. After they put everything away, they sat down for a minute to get cooled off.

"This is going to take a long time." Arine observed. The two boys nodded their agreement. Yukio felt like he could sleep for days. However, their training had only just begun. The trio heard footsteps and stood as Aika came down from the attic. They stood as Aika entered the room carrying some scrolls.

"You sure seem ready for the lesson." She commented dryly as they all made their way outside. Aika set the scrolls down in the grass and had her students stand in front of her. "Here's how this will go. I'll teach you basic chakra control and when you get that, we'll go into teaching you three how to use jutsu, that sound fair?" All three nodded. Aika then cracked the knuckles on each hand before continuing. "Alright, for basic chakra control, you just need to focus. Focus the chakra and make it do what you want it to do. It may take a bit, but soon it'll come naturally."

"How long is a bit?" Denji was the asker.

"That depends on you. If you actually try and give a damn, then it should come quickly. If you slack, then it will take longer." Aika addressed the trio again. "Alright let's start by making this hand sign." She put her hands together and made the ram sign. The trio followed her example and put their hands together. "Now close your eyes and try to focus your chakra into your hands. You should feel a rush of energy. That's normal for the first time. After that, you shouldn't feel it much." The children closed their eyes and concentrated.

"Whoa, that's new." Denji was the first to react, surprising the group. Aika raised an eye brow as Arine jumped a bit.

"That is new. I've never felt anything like it." Aika moved her gaze to Yukio who just achieved what the others had.

"Interesting sensation." Was his only comment. Aika felt a bit of relief. At least they were able to control it a bit. Now for some real lessons.

"Alright, now we're going to try and use that chakra to perform some minor jutsu." Aika strolled over and grabbed a scroll that held some basics. She herself didn't need it but would let the children study it for personal gain. She gave it to Yukio and stepped back. "First I'm going to show you the transformation jutsu. Very simple, easy to master."

Putting together three quick hand signs, Aika was engulfed in a puff of smoke before it disappeared to reveal her as someone else completely: A tall man with grey hair oddly pointing up and left. His head guard was over his left eye and he had a mask over the lower half of his face. Other than that, he wore the basic leaf ninja attire. Nothing was out of place it seemed. The children gaped in awe.

"Incredible." Yukio walked up and examined Aika's new form. "You're a whole new person. Can you speak like them?" Aika shook her head.

"That's part of the trick with transformations. If you're going to transform to infiltrate, you should find someone who you can match voice wise. If you can't, then you're SOL." It was odd to hear Aika's feminine voice coming from this man's covered mouth. However, the issue was resolved when Aika returned to her normal state.

"So basically, we shouldn't transform into someone specific unless we can imitate their voice, right?" Aika nodded at Arine's question.

"Being a shinobi is a business built on precision. Thankfully, I'm going to teach you to be precise." Yukio went back to his friends and Aika taught them the hand signs for the transformation. "It's best to try and imitate someone you know first. So maybe myself or one of you would be a good start." Aika stood back as the trio tried out the technique. Denji was the first to create a puff of smoke and when it cleared, it showed….

"What do you think?" What Denji was talking about was his rendition of Aika. He managed to get her appearance right… body wise. Clothing wise, there wasn't much there. Yukio turned his head, his face starting to become crimson. Arine burst out in laughter, barely able to sputter her reason.

"Boy, you're going to get it." Arine actually fell on the ground, she was laughing so hard. Denji dispersed his transformation and turned to see Aika in front of him, blade at his neck.

"If you _ever_ pull shit like that again, I will personally end you." Denji's eyes were like dinner plates. Yukio turned and saw him in his predicament. He started laughing with Arine. Denji saw this and suddenly turned on his friends, despite Aika being at his throat.

"Oh yeah, like you guys won't make a mistake!" Yukio managed to catch his breath for a minute.

"Denji, that was far from a mistake, and we all know it—hehehehhahhaha." Yukio started laughing again as Denji gritted his teeth. Yukio finally calmed down, as did Arine. With a promise from Denji never to do that again, Aika watched the students transform. Yukio changed into Denji quite accurately, except Denji's left arm was longer than his right and his eyes were mismatched. Arine became Yukio, except his hair had streaks of black and his chin was larger than it should have been. Denji, despite showing accuracy when becoming Aika, became Yukio as well. His mistake was making Yukio have only four fingers on one hand and blonde hair.

"Alright, that's actually not bad." Aika commented when the trio had returned to normal. "The key is practice. When you can control your chakra better, you can become anyone. Eventually, you'll be able to become someone you created. This allows freedom, especially when infiltrating a city where you can simply impersonate a pedestrian."

"Would it make sense to have a dedicated appearance to change to when in a pinch?" Yukio's question was good.

"That depends. If you can keep that appearance a secret from pursuing enemies, yes. However, it makes more sense to make more as you go along. And even slight changes can go a long way. Say your preferred alternate appearance has long brown hair with slight a slight moustache. Simply making the hair long and blonde and giving him a goatee or even a beard can throw people off the trail. However, that's merely visuals. If the enemy uses ninja hounds, then you've got to deal with your scent." Denji lifted an arm and sniffed his arm pit.

"Yeah, that's going to be an issue." Aika rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, when that happens, you've got to find a way to either alter your scent entirely, or nullify the hounds sense of smell. However, if you're being pursued by the Hidden Leaf, then you have to deal with the Inuzuka clan."

"Inuzuka clan?" The trio asked in unison.

"The Inuzuka clan is prominent in the Hidden Leaf for their connection with ninja hounds. They have several techniques to increase their senses to that of a dog's, or even to alter their appearance to have canine characteristics. They make good use of ninja hounds, and they themselves are almost human versions of the animals." Yukio started scratching his chin.

"So that means we'd have to either eliminate the humans chasing us, or try to nullify their sense of smell also." Aika nodded.

"And the best way to go about that is to cut off their chakra. However, that's tough without medical ninjutsu or another ability we'll talk about later." Aika popped her neck loudly before continuing. "For now, though, let's just practice a bit more so you can get the hang of it." The trio got to work quickly, making hand signs and becoming each other. It took a while but, eventually, Arine made a perfect Denji, Denji made a perfect Yukio, and Yukio made a perfect Arine. She asked them to become the team member they neglected and did that with little trouble. She was surprised.

"Alright, so what now?" Aika put her chin in her hand. Yukio noted that the sun was starting to dip, and he was really tired.

"Could we take a break, possibly eat dinner? It's starting to get late-ish." Aika turned and noticed the sun.

"Well what do you know." She turned to the group. "Alright, go get something to eat and we'll conclude today with a minor cloning technique." The trio walked off to the cabin and acquired several protein bars, which they consumed quickly out of sheer hunger. Yukio didn't expect this to take so much out of him. And yet, here he was, eating protein bars as sustenance. He was actually enjoying it. He was doing something. He wasn't sitting in a gross cell, he was out in nature, free.

"I never thought we'd be here." Arine and Denji stopped crunching on bars and looked at him.

"What do you mean by that?" Arine asked after swallowing her portion. Yukio scratched his face.

"I mean out here. Free. Being taught to defend ourselves and fight. It's all so…. Surreal." Denji shrugged.

"Kind of a dream come true, if you ask me." Yukio smiled at his friend.

"It is, in a sense. However, that's one dream of many we'll be able to accomplish. Eventually, we'll be able to pay back Orochimaru for what he's done." The trio smiled at the thought when Aika came in.

"As much as I admire your goals, don't think that you'll be able to beat him with transformations alone. This will take time, you realize." The trio nodded their acknowledgement. "Okay, get outside and we'll try some cloning. Sound fair?" All three children finished their bars and nodded before standing and stretching a bit.

"Are we going to learn any actual fighting tomorrow?" Denji queried.

"We'll do a mix. We'll try and perfect the cloning a bit, then some taijutsu, then some more cloning/transforming."

"When do you think we'll be able to learn more elemental ninjutsu?" Arine was the asker.

"That all depends. If you can master some basics, and control your chakra better, then we'll start getting into it. Thankfully I know at least one jutsu of each type you guys have so it should be easy to get started." The group reached outside, where the sky was turning purple in the sunset. Aika turned to her students. "However, once you get started, I plan to let you do more individual and group learning. As in teaching yourselves.

"But for now, let's focus on cloning. There are two types of cloning: illusionary and shadow. Illusionary cloning is creating a copy of yourself that is intangible. It can't be hurt, nor can it hurt someone. They're better used for distractions. Shadow clones are much better. They're solid so they can deal some damage. Unfortunately, they can only take a single hit before dissipating, though a trained shinobi can build up the resistance of his shadow clones to take more than one hit. But that takes a long time. For now, we'll deal with illusionary clones."

Aika made a couple hand signs and a puff of smoke appeared beside her. It looked just like her. However, when Aika waved her hand at it, it went right through.

"Theoretically, an illusionary clone would be ideal for reconnaissance. However, they're almost useless unless used as a distraction. Shadow clones, however, can give the creator the memories they experience when they disappear. For example, if Arine and I were to send shadow clones into the woods to play a game of rock, paper, scissors, then we dispersed them, we'd see how the game turned out without even really being there. Make sense?"

"Yeah, can we learn how to make them now?" Aika sighed at Denji's impatience. However, she showed them the hand signs and soon the trio was creating clones. And Aika used the word clone by its loosest definition. The clones were misshapen in an almost comical way.

"Try and focus on what you look like. Then put that focus into what you want you chakra to do. Then make a clone." Arine closed her eyes tight and was almost shaking when she made a better clone. It wasn't perfect by any means, it looked horridly thin and had little hair. But it was progress nonetheless. As the children practiced more, they got better. Aika noted that she'd have to get them to look in a mirror for a bit. Other than that, they seemed to have a decent enough handle on it. They just needed better chakra control and focus. They were young, their minds all over the place. However, the needed to grow up a bit more if they wanted to succeeded. That's when Aika turned and saw the almost set sun.

"Okay, I think we've done enough for today." She turned back to the group to see them look exhausted. They were using too much chakra, but that would have to be resolved later. "Let's get inside so you can drink something and get some rest, you'll need it." The trio moved into the cabin without complaint and drank a lot of water. Once that was finished, they headed upstairs for sleep. The new question was what to sleep in.

"We didn't get pajamas." Arine noted. Yukio grunted and flopped on his sleeping mat. Denji followed his example.

"Doesn't matter now. We should…" Yukio noticed Denji had stripped down to his boxers. "The hell're you doing?"

"I don't know about you two, but I'd rather sleep cooly in my skivvies than hot and decently dressed."

"You know what Denji, that's the smartest thing you've said all damned day." Yukio removed his arm braces and spear sheaths and stripped down himself. He lay back, sighing in relief at the heat flooding from him. Only Arine was hesitant, and for good reason. However, she compromised with the two boys that if they looked away until she told them it was alright, she'd do the same. So they turned to face the wall while Arine stripped down to her undergarments and slipped under her covers. She gave them a good night and fell asleep. Yukio and Denji took the opportunity to talk a bit.

"So what do you think, will this work out?" Yukio thought for a moment.

"Only if we're dedicated enough. Remember, she's teaching us how to defend ourselves so we can go out and start attacking Orochimaru. That may take a while, years even. So I'd suggest getting comfortable." Denji nodded and yawned loudly.

"Alright buddy. However, I'm tired as hell so I'm going to hit the sack. Night." And with that, Denji ever so graciously flopped down and fell asleep. Yukio yawned himself and realized that he was also quite tired. His body had a dull ache all over and he felt as if his spirit was drained. But he was too tired to care. He lay down and fell asleep with his friends, ending their first day as trainees.

**A/N: Holy HELL that took a while. However, I think this turned out decently. I know it's not "SUPER ACTION PACKED WESOME FIGHTING ADVENTURES" but it's going slowly. I'll try and increase the pace a bit perhaps. Other than that, if you want a faster story, check out the first chapter of my other story "The Brothers Greymon" if you're a Digimon fan as well. The second chapter is being written and while they'll take longer to write as they will BE longer, the pacing will go by faster with a battle each chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review as that lets me know you ENOJYED IT. **


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